Impact of a High-Demand College in a Large University on Working Class Youth. Volumes I, II.

Cassidy, Sally Whelan; And Others

With the establishment in 1959 of a small experimental college within a large public city university, a record was kept of the impact of the college's high demand program on the working class students recruited from the university. To document the progress of the new institution and its students, a huge volume and variety of data was collected and social science analyses ranging from demographic studies following different stages of the social history of the student population, to analyses of variables, pattern analyses, sociometric analyses and combinations of all previous approaches were made. A flow chart of the students' career is drawn measuring quality of earlier work, outcome, scholarship level, perseverence, pace. The effect of the students' parents' lack of education on preparation and performance is measured and patterns of the students' adjustment to high academic demands and personal development are sketched. Researchers examined student reactions to various aspects of different faculty roles (as lecturer, discussion leader, tutor, counselor etc.) as well as to alternative learning situations. The conclusion is that an excellent college can be effective in a "streetcar" college setting with unselective admission if students and faculty are highly involved in the educational process. Volume II contains selected research conducted at the college by researchers of different disciplines and interests on many aspects of the college environment and student development. (JS)